Overqualification of Russian employees: scale, determinants, consequences

Sotsiologicheskie Issledovaniya. 2021. No. 12. P. 175–184.

Varshavskaya E.

The research objective is to estimate the scale
of overqualification mismatch of Russian employees, to find its determinants and influence
on potential turnover and job satisfaction. The empirical basis of the work was microdata
from the Comprehensive Living Conditions Survey conducted by Rosstat in 2018. Measurement
of qualification mismatch is based on respondents' self-assessment. About half of Russian
employees assess their qualifications as excessive. Regression analysis has shown that the most
significant determinant of overqualification is the level of education. Work in the informal
sector, poor working conditions, excessive education and work not in the specialty increase
the probability that the employee will consider himself/herself overqualified. It has been proved
that overqualification is a significant predictor of labor behavior. The probability of searching
for a new, more suitable job is higher for those employees who assess their qualifications as
excessive. Overqualification has a negative effect on job satisfaction, reducing the likelihood
of feeling satisfied and increasing the risks of dissatisfaction.

Keywords: удовлетворенность трудом, job satisfaction, квалификационное несоответствие, избыточная квалификация, потенциальная текучесть, qualification mismatch, overqualification, potential turnover